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(Nb Modl.) v 2 ShGGtS-Shfi'gt 1. W. H. POWERS, Jr. VALVE OPERATING MEGHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

No. 560,230. 2 Patented May 19, 1896.

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W. H. POWERS, Jr. VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

No. 560,230. Patented May 19, 1896.

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NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM ll. POXYERS, JR., OF VOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR TO JOHN A. DEAN, OF SAME PLACE.

VALVE-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,230, dated May 19, 1896.

Application filed May 14, 1895. Serial No. 549,306. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM H. PowERs, .112, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vorcester, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve-Opcrating Mechanism for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to valve-operating mechanism for elevators, and more particularly to the auxiliary-valve mechanism, which combined with an auxiliary cylinder and piston, which constitute an independent ntor-piston to operate the piston in the main cylinder, whereby the motive fluid is admitted to and exhausted from said cylinder.

The object of my invention is to improve upon the construction of the auxiliaiy-valve mechanism above referred to, and to provide an auxiliary-valve mechanism the operation of which is controlled by a pneumatic shipper, consisting of a handle or lever located on the car or platform of the elevator, and two air-cylinders, and tube connections to the auxiliary-valve mechanism.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction of my auxiliary-valve mechanism and pneumatic shipper for elevators, as will be hereinafter fully described, and the nature thereof indicated by the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a portion of an elevator-platform and its supporting-plunger with my improvements in. valve-operating mechanism combined therewith. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through one of the auxiliary valves and the auxiliary cylinder and motor-piston with which the auxiliary valves are connected. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the auxiliary valve shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. at is a central vertical section on line at at, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of arrow a, same figure. Figs. 2 to t are shown on an enlarged scale.

It will be understood that two auxiliary valves, of similar construction and operation, are employed and combined with the auxiliary cylinder and motor-piston, one of which is operated to move the motor-piston in one direction and the other in the other direction. The movement of the motor-piston is communicated to the piston of the main cylinder to regulate the admission of the motive fluid thereto and the exhaust therefrom.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 is the elevator or platform, which moves up and down between guides 2 (only one of which is shown) and is supported on the top of the plunger 3, which moves up and down within a cylinder, (not shown,) and having the box 4 on the upper end thereof, to which the motive fluid is admitted, and also exhausted, through a pipe 5, which leads into the main operating-cylinder 6, which in this instance extends in a vertical plane, and has an exhaust-pipe 7 leading out of the bottom thereof and a supply-pipe 8 leading into the upper part thereof. A piston (not shown) moves within the cylinder 6 to regulate the admission and the exhaust of the motive fluid which operates the plunger, and the piston-rod 9 of said piston is connected to the operating-lever 10 at 10'. Said lever 10 is pivoted at one end to the upper end of the arm 11, and attached at its other end to the elevator-rope 12, which passes around the pulley 13, mounted in a stationary stand 14, and said rope 12 operates, through lever 10, the piston in the main cylinder 6, all in the usual and well-known way in hydraulic elevators of the class above referred to.

I will now describe my auxiliary-valvemechanism, which is used to operate a piston, connected with the piston-rod 9 of the piston in the main cylinder 6. Supported 011 the upper ends of rods 15, extending up from and secured at their lower ends to the top of the main cylinder 6, is a second cylinder 16,(shown in section in Fig. 2,) which is provided with a neck 16' at its lower end, and has in this instance an opening 17 in its upper end and an opening 18 in one side of the neck 16. (See Fig. 2.) A piston 19 moves within the cylinder 16, and its rod 20 extends down through a stuffing-box in the lower end of the neck 16, and is connected to the upper end of the piston-rod 9 of the piston in the main cylinder 6. Two auxiliary valves of my improved construetion are employed, in this instance supported on opposite sides of the cylinder 16 by the pipe connections 21 and 22 between said auxiliary valves and said cylinder 16. One of the pipe connections, as 21, leads to the opening 17 in the top of the cylinder 16 and is secured to the top of the cylinder, and the other, as 22, leads to the opening 17 in the neck 16 and is secured to said neck. As the two auxiliary valves are of similar construction and operation, a description of one will answer for both.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, the pipe connection leads to an opening 23 in the cylinder or casin g 24 of the auxiliary-valve mechanism and is secured to said casin g to support the same. The valve-casing 24 has a solid top or end 25 secured thereon and an opening 26 in its upper part through which there is an exhaust of the fluid and an opening 27 in its lower part through which there is a supply of the fluid. The central part of the valvecasin g 24 is provided with two valve-seats 2S and 29, upon which the valves 30 and 31, fast on a vertically-moving rod or stem 32, alternately seat. The upper end 32 of the valvestem 32 is of reduced diameter and extends loosely into an opening 25' in the under side of the top 25 to hold and guide said stem. 32. The lower end 24 of the casing 24 is of en larged diameter, and a piston 33, secured to the lower end of the valve-stem 32, is adapted to move in the chamber 34 therein with said stem The valve-stem 32 has a small central opening 35 in the lower end thereof, leading out through the side of the stem. (See Fig. 4.) Said opening 35 furnishes a means of communication and a passage between the chamber 34 and the chamber in which the lower valve 31 is located, for the purpose to be hereinafter described.

The lower end 36 of the valve-casing 24 has a central opening 36 therein, and into said opening is screwed the upper tubular end 37 of the diaphragm-support 37, the lower part of which is made yoke-shaped, as shown in Fig. 4, and has a circular portion 37 at its lower end, into which is screwed a cup 38, having a central opening 38 therein, into which extends and is secured one end of a flexible tube or pipe 39. The other end of said tube 39 is secured to the lower end of an air-cylinder 40 on the under side of the platform 1. In said air-cylinder40 a piston (not shown) moves, secured to a piston-rod 41, pivoted at its upper end to one end of the lever 42, pivoted at its central point on a stand 43 on the ear-platform 1, and provided with an upwardly-extending handle 44, by which said lever 42 is moved in one direction or the other to operate the auxiliary-valve mechanism an d cause the elevator to rise or descend, as will be hereinafter described. To the other end of the lever 42 a second piston-rod 45 is attached, which moves a piston (not shown) in a second aircylinder 46, from which a flexible pipe 47 leads to the other auxiliary valve. In the tubular end 37 of the diaphragm-support 37 extends a vertically-moving rod 48, the upper end 48 of which is of reduced diameter and extends within the tubular stem 49 of the valve 49, which is supported at its upper end by a washer 50, secured in the upper part of the end 37. Said washer 50 has openings 50 therein, through which the fluid passes from the chamber 34 when the valve 49 is open. The valve 49 has a seat 51 in the end 37 and is raised or lowered by the vertical movement of the rod 48, which extends through a stuffing-box 54, secured to the lower end of the tubular end 37. Leading out from one side of the tubular end 37 is an opening 52 for an exhaust to the sewer or waste pipe. To the lower end of the rod 48 is secured the central portion of a flexible diaphragm 55, of rubber or other suitable material. The edges of said diaphragm 53 are secured between the circular portion 37 and the cup 33 to form an airchamber 55 between said diaphragm and cup.

From the above description, in connection with the drawings, the operation of myauxiliary-valve mechanism and pneumatic shipper for elevators will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

It will be understood that the piston 19, when the elevator is at rest, occupies a central position in the cylinder 16, with the pressure of the motive fluid on each side of it.

In case it is desired to raise the elevatorplatform, the shipper-handle 44 of the pneumatic shipper is moved to the left, Fig. 1, in the direction of arrow This will cause the diaphragm 53, Figs. 2 and 3, to be moved up by the pressure of the air and the rod 48 to be raised and the valve 49 opened. The opening of the valve 49 will allow the fluid in the chamber 34 to pass from said chamber, through the openings 50 in the wash er 50, into the tubular stem 37 and out of the exhaust-opening 52. The flow of the fluid through the open valve 49 from the chamber 34 will be greater than the flow of the fluid through the opening 35 in the lower end of the valve-stem 32, so that the pressure of the fluid entering through the supply-pipe 27 will force the piston 33, secured to the lower end of the valve-stem 32, downwardly, and the downward movement of said piston will open the valve 31 and at the same time close the valve 30. The diaphragm 53, returning to its normal position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, will draw down the rod 48 and allow the valve 49 to close. The fluid can now pass from the supply-opening 27, through the open valve 31, into the pipe connection 22 and into the lower end of the cylinder 16 to force up the piston 19 therein to the position shown in Fig. 2, and, through the piston-rods 20 and 9, raise the piston in the main cylinder 6, and allow the motive fluid to enter through the supply-pipe S and through the pipe 5 into the plunger-cylinder to move up the plunger and elevator car or platform in the ordinary way.

In case it is desired to have the elevator car or platform descend, the shipper-handle 44 of the pneumatic shipper is moved in the direction indicated by arrow y, Fig. 1, to opcrate the valve mechanism at the right in Fig. 1 in the same manner as above described in connection with the valve mechanism at the left in Fig. 1, (shown in section in Figs. 2 and 4,) so that the fluid will enter through the opening 17 in the upper end of the cylinder 16 to force down the piston 19 therein. The pressure of the fluid passing through the pipe connect-ion 22 from the cylinder 16, as the piston descends, will, with the pressure of the fluid passing through the supplyopening 27 and through the open valve 31, in connection with the pressure on the lower side of the piston from the fluid passing through the opening in the lower end of the stem 32, act to close the lower valve 31 and stop the dew of water through the supply 27, and at the same time open the upper valve and allow the exhaust through the opening 26 from the cylinder 16.

The descent of the piston 19 in the cylinder 16, through piston-rods 20 and 9, will move down the piston in the main cylinder 6 and cut off the supply of the fluid entering through the supply-pipe 8, and allow the fluid to pass from the plunger-cylinder, as the elevator descends, through the exhaust-pipe 7 in the usual way.

The advantages of my improvements in auXiliary-valve-operating mechanism will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

By combining with the elevator platform or car the pneumatic shipper for operating the auxiliary-valve mechanism the said mechanism is under the complete control of the attendant on the car, and said shipper will start or stop the elevator very quickly and without any sudden jar.

It will be understood that the details of construction of my auxiliary-valve mechanism for elevators may be varied some if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an auxiliary -valve mechanism for elevators, the combination, with a piston and two casings communicating therewith, said casings being provided with valves, valveseats and ports, of a diaphragm-supportsecured to the end of each casing, the upper end of the support being hollow and provided with a valve-seat and an exhaust, and the opposite end being yoke-shaped, a perforated washer at the hollow end of the support, a valve in the washer, the stem of which is hollow, a rod through the support, the upper end of which is reduced and fits within the hollow stem of the valve, a diaphragm secured to the lower end of the rod, and pneumatic means for operating the diaphragm, substantially as set forth.

2. In an auxiliary valve mechanism for elevators, the combination with a piston-cylinder, and piston, and two cylinders or casings communicating therewith, said casings being provided with valves, valve-seats, and ports, of a diaphragm-support secured to the end of each casing, the upper end of the support being hollow and provided with an exhaust and a valve-seat, a valve having a hollow valve-stem which extends through a perforated washer secured in the upper end of said support, and said washer, a rod extending through the hollow end of said support, the upper end of which rod is reduced and fits within said hollow valve-stem, a diaphragm secured to the lower end of said rod, and means for operating the diaphragm, substantially as set forth.

IVILLIAM H. POWERS, JR.

\Titnesses:

M. J. GALv1N,. JOHN C. DEWEY. 

